Want To Have Your Cake And Enjoy It, Too?

If you thought the saying “absence makes the heart grow fonder” only applied to your relatives, think again. Turns out that the less we consume our favorite things—frosting, yum!—the more we enjoy them, finds a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.

Researchers conducted four experiments where study participants were asked to play video games or consume a favorite food, such as chocolate, at either their own pace or a longer pace dictated by the experimenter. The results? Those who chose their own pace enjoyed their experience less than those whose rate was chosen for them. What’s more, participants who were left to their own devices not only consumed more chocolate, they also did so twice as fast.

“People are naturally prone to consume products they enjoy too rapidly,” says lead author Jeff Galak, PhD, an assistant professor of marketing at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. And overdoing it on consumption means we grow tired of the products more quickly.

You’re probably thinking, “Obviously! If I listen to the same song on repeat, of course I’ll get sick of it.” Except, according to Galak, a majority of people don’t understand how over-consuming can decrease their enjoyment. In fact, most people find it difficult—or just plain unnecessary—to delay their gratification, he says.

Here’s the good news: If you want to keep enjoying your favorite things—or eat the occasional spoonful of, oh, say frosting, without piling on the pounds—it doesn’t take anything big. “Small changes in rate of consumption can have a substantial impact on enjoyment,” says Galak. Which means that when it comes to a beloved treat, have it once a week.

Bottom line, says Galak: “When in the fortunate position of being able to choose how often to consume the things one enjoys, space out consumption.” You’ll enjoy that frosting all the more.